Difference between Oncologist and Urologist

Key Difference: An Urologist is a physician who has specialized training and knowledge related to problems and diseases of male and female urinary tract and also male reproductive organs. On the other hand, an Oncologist is a physician who diagnoses and treats cancers.

Urologists are specialized in the branch of medicine known as urology. They provide treatment to diseases related to male and female urinary tract which includes kidneys, bladder, ureters and urethra. In addition to these organs, an Urologist also deals with diseases of the male reproductive organs. Urologists are considered to be surgical specialists.

They are able to diagnose problems and then prescribe treatments. They can also perform surgeries if required. They treat a range of problems like urination problem or even tumors or stones in the urinary system. Impotenc which is the problem of male reproductive system is also treated by an Urologist. An Urologist can also specialize in fields like female urology, neurourology (voiding disorders, impotence, etc.), male infertility, pediatrics, renal transplantation and others.

On the other hand, an Oncologist deals with oncology which is a branch of science dealing with cancers and tumors. Simply, they diagnose and provide treatment to people suffering from cancer specifically. There are mainly three types of Oncologists – Medical Oncologist which uses medicine for the treatment of cancer. Radiation Oncologists use radiation for the treatment of cancer. Surgical Oncologist treats cancer with surgery.

The involvement of an Oncologist starts form the diagnosis of cancer and retains throughout the course of the disease. A patient is often treated by a team of oncologists which are specialized in different sub fields.

Therefore, Urologist and Oncologist are two different types of health care professionals. Urologists deal with the problems of urinary system and male reproductive system. On the other hand, Oncologist deals with cancer. It is important to mention that some urologists are known as Urologic Oncologists. They are actually surgeons who provide treatment of cancer of the urinary tract and male reproductive organs.

Comparison between Oncologist and Urologist:

	Oncologist	Urologist
Definition	An oncologist is a physician who diagnoses and treats cancers.	An urologist is a physician who has specialized training and knowledge related to problems and diseases of male and female urinary tract and also male reproductive organs.
Treatment of conditions	Lung cancer Prostate cancer Bladder cancer Breast cancer Pancreatic cancer Skin cancer Etc.	Adrenal cancer Cystocele Female infertility Cystic kidney disease Kidney stones Prostatitis Male infertility Testicular torsion Etc.
Diagnosis techniques	Physical examination Complete medical history Study of lab tests of blood, urine and stool Imaging test and Xx-rays Fiber optic endoscopy Biopsy And many more	Imaging techniques like ultrasound, IVU and Non contrast helical CT scan Endoscopy And many more
Qualification	After completion of medical school, it generally requires an additional 3-8 years of internship and residencies in the course of oncology.	After completion of medical school, it generally requires a five years of training in urology which includes 2 years of core training in surgery and 2 yars of approved residency training in urology.
Some Types	Medical Oncologist Pediatric Oncologist Radiation Oncologist Gynecologic oncologist	Some specialize in areas like - Pediatric Urology Urologic Oncology Renal Transplantation Male Infertility Calculi Female urology
Treatment methods	Chemotherapeutic drugs Chemotherapy Monoclonal antibody therapy Surgical oncological procedures Radiotherapy	Surgical procedures like partial nephrectomy, mephrouteterctomy, renal transplantation, cystectomy, etc. Some may also perform cosmetic procedures such as penile enlargement or gender reassignment surgeries. Prescribe medicines